2024 will be the hottest year on record

2023 was the hottest year on record due to climate change, combined with the impact of the El Nino phenomenon. However, this record will not last long because the average temperature of the Earth in 2024 is recorded at a higher level.

The World Weather Attribution (WWA) organization released its annual 'Weather Extremes' report, which showed a record increase of 34.34 degrees Fahrenheit (1.3 degrees Celsius) largely due to human industrial activity over the past year. In November alone, the average global temperature was 14.10 degrees Celsius (57.38 degrees Fahrenheit). Last year's average global temperature was 14.98 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit).

This change has contributed to 'recurrent heatwaves, droughts, wildfires, storms and floods', which are much more extreme in scale and severity. The WWA estimates that climate change is responsible for at least 3,700 deaths, and 26 different weather events by 2024 that will 'displace millions of people worldwide'.

The report notes a total of 219 weather events in 2024 that met the 'trigger criteria' to be identified as unusual weather events. Many were influenced by a natural climate pattern known as El Niño (which is getting stronger due to climate change). WWA studies have found that 'climate change played a larger role than El Niño in driving these events, including the historic drought in the Amazon.'

In 2024, climate change increased the number of dangerously hot days by an average of 41 and caused record-breaking rainfall and flooding around the globe. A study of 16 floods found that all were caused by a warmer atmosphere that held more moisture, leading to heavier rainfall. Such climate conditions can also contribute to more and deadlier hurricanes like Helene, the Category 4 storm that struck the United States in September. The North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management estimates that Helene caused $53.8 billion in damage in the state alone.

Two of the world's most important ecosystems are also "highly impacted by climate change by 2024," the WWA report said. The Amazon rainforest and the Pantanal, the world's largest tropical wetland, have experienced severe drought and wildfires that have caused "massive biodiversity loss" over the past year.

Both regions are vital to maintaining the health of the Earth's ecosystems, climate, and economies. The Amazon's vast vegetation removes significant amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis, while releasing water into the atmosphere to help control climate and circulate ocean currents. The Pantanal wetlands are home to tens of thousands of wildlife species, provide much-needed flood control for the region, and generate global economic activity for cattle ranching and soy production, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

The WWA report sets out a number of key resolutions for 2025 to combat the growing impacts of climate change. It calls for a 'faster transition' away from fossil fuels, improved early warning systems for extreme weather events, a greater focus on reporting heat-related deaths, and funding for developing countries and regions most affected by climate change.

Kareem Winters

Update 31 December 2024